


Insomnia

by universal_reno



Category: Penny Dreadful (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Post-Series, such pointless fluff, terribly sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-17
Updated: 2016-12-17
Packaged: 2018-09-09 04:40:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8876317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/universal_reno/pseuds/universal_reno
Summary: Victor can only stay awake for so long





	

**Author's Note:**

> Guess who binge watched Penny Dreadful and just had to pop over from cyberpunk land to pay all you lovely people an uninvited visit? There are so many awesome writers in this fandom that frankly I doubt I'll measure up, but cowboys and scientists are adorable and I have poor self-restraint, so here we are.

Victor supposed it shouldn’t have come as any great surprise. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d slept for more than an hour at a stretch, and the shock of losing Lily and Vanessa within days of each other would’ve been a lot to take regardless. He knew the limits of the human body better than anyone, yet on some level he still fancied himself exempt from them.

It was difficult to forgive himself the poor timing at any rate. This day was meant for Vanessa. Surely she deserved at least that much. After the funeral he’d returned to the mansion with Sir Malcolm and Mr. Chandler. The rain had started on the journey back, and he’d spent the better part of the afternoon watching it through the sitting room window. If he’d been inclined to superstition or trite sentiment he might’ve imagined that heaven itself wept for their departed friend. As it was most of the actual weeping had been on Ethan’s part and had been conducted as privately as he could manage. None the less, the rain did seem to fit the mood.  

He watched the drops collide with the windowpane and trickle forlornly down the glass. A strange sort of chill had begun to creep over him hours ago but he ignored it. Any number of strange sensations accompanied his level of involvement with morphine and opium and half a dozen other substances, and they’d grown so familiar as to be unremarkable. Instead he wondered if there would be lightning tonight. Whether it would be appropriate to the occasion if there were.

The final hint he got that something was amiss came when the world took on a hazy, dreamlike quality. But that too could be chalked up to the morphine. None the less he leaned on the windowsill to steady himself, but it was too little too late. He was unconscious before he hit the floor.

\--------------- 

The next thing he knew the rain had started inside as well. That was strange. The house wasn’t exceptionally old by London standards, and Sir Malcolm kept it, if not immaculate, at least in good repair. He dragged a hand across his face to wipe the drops away. At least it was still warm. Warmer than he remembered, even. He opened his eyes and waited with uncharacteristic patience for things to come back into focus. He was too tired to rush. Why was he so tired, anyway?

“He’s awake!” The familiar accent seemed to help the blur above him resolve more quickly into Ethan’s face. He was curled up on the sofa with his head resting against the American’s shoulder. Not an entirely unfamiliar position, but not as familiar as he would’ve liked, either.

“What happened?” He cringed at how weak his voice sounded, to say nothing of his lack of eloquence.

“You fainted. Was afraid that… I thought maybe…”

The tears came faster now, and Victor reached up to gently brush them away. Then he pressed a chaste kiss to Ethan’s lips in the hope of discouraging any more. There was enough rain outside, after all. He knew Sir Malcolm was watching, but the part of his mind that might ordinarily have been bothered about indiscretion had yet to reawaken. At the moment his world boiled down to Ethan beside him, warm and familiar and reassuring, but with so much pain in his eyes. Was it not his duty to ease pain?

“I’ve enough demons of my own to keep any new ones at bay. You needn’t worry on my account.”

Ethan wrapped his arms tighter around him and rested a damp cheek on the top of his head.

“Just get some rest. I expect there’ll be plenty of time for demons later.”

Victor let his eyes drift closed and felt the few shreds of awareness he’d managed to regain quietly slipping away. For once, he thought, maybe rest would come.

**Author's Note:**

> Poor Ethan... If I had his lifestyle I'd be afraid my friends were possessed if they did so much as sneeze, too XD;;


End file.
